Addendum: The Six Approaches That Reach Across ESD Learning Materials and Practices

If one reads through the thirteen ESD case studies in this volume, one can discern six approaches that reach across the learning materials and practices and which have the word ”connections” in common.

1

Learning materials and practices that enable us to think about the sustainability of life and the environment, the economy, society and culture

Efforts to address various issues that hinder sustainability and to discover the connections between issues

Learning materials and practices that connect children and teachers, parents and guardians, community members, and others

Connections among the various people who live in a community and promotion of community sustainability

3

Learning materials and practices that promote dialogue and exchange between children and different eras and generations

Connections that transcend time and space. Relationships with oneﾕs own history of learning and life story

The concept that the past is the memory and record of the present andthat the future represents the expectations and hopes of the present

4

Learning materials and practices that generate dialogue between studentsﾕ communities (school, local community) and other communities and the world

Seeking connections and cross-cultural communication that transcend time and space

5

Learning materials and practices that foster the love of ”essential and fundamental questions” and willingness to embrace them

Children and adults continuing to embrace the discovery of and connections among questions such as: “What is life?” “What is the environment?” “What does it mean to live?” “What are human rights?” “What is peace?” “What is security?” “What is history?” “What is cultural diversity?” “What is abundance?” and “What is happiness?”

6

Learning materials and practices that draw out various ways of gathering and applying information and planning and participation in society in order to search for answers to soulful questions

Direct dialogue and interviews, use of media in school libraries and information and communications technology, and reconstruction of knowledge

Planning and action in society through “co-production” with citizensliving their lives, working in government, working for companies,working at nonprofits and non-governmental organisations, and workingas researchers

Enabling “soulful questions” to continue to live in the midst of actual society

By reflecting on the education and research activities now occurring based on these six approaches or perspectives, can’t one expand and deepen one’s practices connected with hope for a sustainable future?